DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "a first blocking mechanism blocking foreign substances from entering the rack cover" in line 12 of the claim. This limitation of the claim is inconsistent with disclosure of the application wherein it is unclear how a foreign substance can enter the rack cover as there is no portion of the rack cover to enter into since it is a flat plate. Appropriate correction or explanation is required.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "a second blocking mechanism blocking foreign substances from entering the rack cover" in line 7 of the claim. This limitation of the claim is inconsistent with disclosure of the application wherein it is unclear how a foreign substance can enter the rack cover as there is no portion of the rack cover to enter into since it is a flat plate. Appropriate correction or explanation is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 12, and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lim (2022/0166861).
Regarding Claim 1: Lim teaches an electronic device comprising: a first housing (102); a second housing (101) slidably coupled to the first housing (figs. 15-17); a flexible display (151) configured to expand or reduce a size of a display area visible to the outside of the electronic device based on slide-in or slide-out of the second housing (figs. 2-3); a drive motor (201) disposed to provide driving force to drive the second housing (figs. 2-3 and 15-17); a pinion gear (202) coupled to the drive motor (figs. 15-17); a rack gear (205) disposed to be driven to engage with (figs. 15-17) the pinion gear (202); and a rack cover (204 wherein this covers a portion of the rack as seen in figs. 15-17) coupled to the rack gear (figs. 15-17), wherein the rack cover includes a first blocking mechanism (side walls and bottom wall portions extending inward as shown in figs. 15-17) blocking foreign substances from entering the rack cover (figs. 15-17), and wherein the rack gear includes a second blocking mechanism (206) blocking foreign substances from entering the rack gear (figs. 15-17).
Regarding Claim 2: Lim teaches the first blocking mechanism is disposed on one surface of the rack cover facing the rack gear and extends in a direction toward the rack gear (figs. 15-17), and wherein the second blocking mechanism is disposed on one surface of the rack gear facing the rack cover and extends in a direction toward the rack cover (figs. 15-17).
Regarding Claim 12: Lim teaches a structure for preventing foreign substances, the structure comprising: a rack gear (205) disposed to be driven to engage with (figs. 15-17) a pinion gear (202); and a rack cover (204 wherein this covers a portion of the rack as seen in figs. 15-17) coupled to the rack gear (figs. 15-17), wherein the rack cover includes a first blocking mechanism (side walls and bottom wall portions extending inward as shown in figs. 15-17) blocking foreign substances from entering the rack gear (figs. 15-17), and wherein the rack gear includes a second blocking mechanism (206) blocking foreign substances from entering the rack cover (figs. 15-17).
Regarding Claim 13: Lim teaches the first blocking mechanism is disposed on one surface of the rack cover facing the rack gear and extends in a direction toward the rack gear (figs. 15-17), and wherein the second blocking mechanism is disposed on one surface of the rack gear facing the rack cover and extends in a direction toward the rack cover (figs. 15-17).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-11 and 14-20 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims and if rewritten to overcome the 112(b) formalities of language.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claims 3-11 and 14-20 all include some form of the first blocking mechanism including a plurality of blocking members extending in a height direction as well as the second blocking mechanism including a plurality of blocking members extending in a height direction in combination with all other elements of the claims in combination with the limitations of the respective independent claim.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record in the notice of references cited PTO-892 and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure as the references disclose multiple different types of rack and pinion gearing system with the use of motors and including coverings to prevent foreign substances into the gearing system.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHONY MICHAEL HAUGHTON whose telephone number is (571)272-9087. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9a-5p.
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/ANTHONY M HAUGHTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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